The NorthSide Blog is a companion blog to STL Rising. The proposed Northside project brings promise and hope to the city of St. Louis, but it also brings very real challenges. This blog is dedicated to the issues, possibilities, and challenges represented by the proposed NorthSide plan

Sunday, September 6, 2009

An article by Tim Logan in today's Sunday Post Dispatch details the ongoing effort of McEagle to build community support for its proposed NorthSide plan.

The article describes a low key, high impact effort whereby McEagle principal Paul McKee is holding ongoing small group meetings with neighborhood residents, businesses, and elected officials. The neighborhood meetings are leading up to scheduled public hearings starting later this month where the city's TIF Commission and Board of Aldermen will consider McEagle's request for a record-setting TIF agreement.

Logan details a slow but steady conversion of near northside stakeholders in support of the McEagle plan. Concerns remain, especially with regard to ongoing property maintenance and the possibility of eminent domain, but overall, according to the story, residents, business owners, and elected officials are growing in their support of the plan.

Logan notes that McEagle's website has not been updated in months, and that the twitter and online discussion forum are inactive. Given the growing traction for the NorthSide plan, without the use of an active internet-driven, electronic community engagement effort, it appears that McEagle planners have concluded that their best approach to winning support for the NorthSide plan is by following the direct route of holding steady, face-to-face meetings with locals.

The article does not go into specifics regarding historic preservation or the definition of legacy buildings targeted for preservation.